Course overview

The PADI Rescue Diver course on the Perhentian Islands transforms you into a more aware, capable diver able to prevent and manage problems in and out of the water. In the calm, warm bays off Long Beach and Coral Bay you rehearse tired-diver tows, surface and underwater rescues and missing-diver searches, building the confidence to look beyond yourself and help your buddies.

What you’ll learn

• Recognise and manage diver stress before it becomes an emergency
• Perform self-rescue and tired-diver assistance techniques
• Respond to panicked divers at the surface and underwater
• Search for and surface an unresponsive diver and provide in-water rescue breaths
• Manage a dive accident and coordinate an emergency response
• Plan and run realistic search patterns

Prerequisites

• Minimum age 12 (Junior Rescue Diver) or 15 for Rescue Diver
• PADI Adventure Diver or Advanced Open Water (with Underwater Navigation) or qualifying certification
• Emergency First Response primary and secondary care within 24 months
• Diver medical clearance signed by a physician

What's included · What's not

Probability of sightings · month-by-month

What you're likely to see each month, based on historic operator logs.

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1
   Theory and self-rescue

   Knowledge development, stress recognition and self-rescue practice in calm water off Long Beach.
2. Day2
   Rescue exercises

   Work through the ten core rescue skills, from tired-diver tows to surfacing an unresponsive diver.
3. Day3
   Scenarios and certification

   Put it together in two full rescue scenarios on a local reef, then certify as a Rescue Diver.

Verified through iDive

Every partner school in the iDive network is vetted on safety, instructor credentials, equipment standards and student feedback. Talk to a iDive dive pro on WhatsApp for current availability and reviews specific to Perhentian.

Frequently asked questions